âThe Swindler and Other Storiesâ is a collection of stories first published in 1923 by the hugely successful English writer of popular romances Ethel May Dell. âThe Swindlerâ: As a young girl Cynthia holds a professional swindler in admiration, since he cleverly swindled her out of five hundred pounds. On a voyage she meets a private detective called West who is bent on capturing this swindler called Nat Verney. Little did Cynthia know what the favor she asked of West would lead to. What follows is a manâs lies to save the woman he loves from herself and another manâs love for Cynthia, and how far he will go to make her happy, at his own expense. The rest of the stories are love stories and have many surprises.